Chair construction



June 2,192 I 1,539,886.

M. THUM CHAIR CONSTRUCTION File June 29 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l 37 H INVENTOR. f'i 'q Z Mil/Z7 3 ATTORNEY June 2, 1925.

M.THUM

CHAIR CONSTRUCTION File June 29 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

- IYIYVENTOR.

yway, W

51;- ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES MARTIN rerun,

or noonnsrna, NEW YORK, nssrenoe 'ro whenever-divans eta- PANY, or nocnns'rnn', YORK, A martin-Arron or new ream one-1n oons'r-auc-rron.

Application filed June 29, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, h [ARTIN THUM, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chair Con structions; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference numerals marked thereon.

This invention relates to chair construction having as one of its objects the provision in combination with a chair of a practical and otherwise zulvanta'geous form of pedestal or base for effectively supporting.

the chair and securing" the same firmly to the floor. Another object is to provide a construction of the above character adapted also to protect the lower parts of the chair against disfigurement in use and facilitate the cleanin of the floor adjacent thereto.

A further object is to provide apractical and durable form of construction for yieldably SBCtlllIl-g' a chair seat on the legs or other supports in such a manner that the seat is ttllOWQt to contract or expand in its own plane to prevent warping or cracking, while being; positively held against warping or separation from its support. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will hereinafter be more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specific: tion.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair embod-lying; the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional plan view on the line Qfl-Qx of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan on the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4; is a fragmentary sectional elevation on the line et of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the chair;

Figure 6 is asecti'onal elevationon the line 6--6 of Figure 5, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 7-'T of Figure 6.

Similar ireference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

T he invention is embodied in the present instance in a chair of the school type in which it is particularly useful, although it Serial No. 571,591.

is to be understood that the invention is by no means limited in its utility to application to this particular type of chair The latter is illustrated in'the present instance, as

comprising preferably awooden seat portion or standard 15 on which iswerticr-tlly slidable a frame loot any suitable construction, adjustably supporting at its" upper end adesk or table 16 the particular construction of which, however,forms no part of thepresent invention.

The seat portion 10 is, in the present in; stance, in the form of a solid wooden bfoard' resting in free engagement, except for thesecuring devices hereafter described, on the upper ends of the forward legs 11 and on the upper edges of wooden cross .membersor panels 17 and 18 connecting; and-bracing the forward legs 11 and each pair of front and rear legs 11 and 12, respectively. 7, At its rear corners the seat is cutaway to clearthe back supports and rests on a wooden cross member or panel 1-9 connecting and bracing the rear legs. The panel members 17, 18 and 19 preferably extend from the seat adjacent the lower ends of thelegsgbeing securely mortised' into the latter to ford a strong-and rigidconstriiction which completely closes in the space beneaththe seat for a (purpose which Willihorefully ap-' pear hereafter. Instead of the use of legsand panels, a box form of construction comprising plain enclosing walls, might of course be employed, but the'forme-r construction is preferred. Small triangular brackets 20 are provided to stiffen" the back supports 13 Practical and efficient means are provided in the form ofa pedestal or base for firmly securing a chair of the rugged and durable type described above to the floor,; as par ticularly desirable in the of school chairs; in such a manner as to prevent'not only any shifting or upsetting of the chair but also any rocking;v movement inthe case of irregularity in the construction' of the latter or in the floor. To this end there is As common in this variety of chair" the forward right hand leg Cfl-I'IIQSJL post provided a strip 21 preferably of sheet metal arranged to extend vertically and bent substantially in the form of a loop for encircling the lower portion of the chair legs and their connecting panels. This strip may be secured to the chair parts in any suitable manner, it having been found preferable for this purpose to form a channel or kerf 22 in the outer surfaces of the legs and panel members in a horizontal plane adjacent the bottom of the latter and to turn the upper ed e of the strip 21 inwardly in the form of a ange 23 engageable in the kerf 22 about substantially the entire circumference of the chair. This assembly may be effected by springing apart the meeting ends of the stripto enlarge the loop formed by the latter and thus springing the strip over the bottom portions of the chair supporting frame and into the kerf 22. The meeting ends of the strip are preferably overlapped as at 24 at'the rear side of the chair and secured together as by means of a screw 25 passing through the ends of the strip, with a slot 26 cut in one end to afford a suitable degree of accommodating adjustment between the strip and chair and permit a slight play between the strip ends. It has also been found desirable to slightly offset the meeting ends of the strip in the manner shown in' Figure 2 which tends to maintain them in suitable overlapping relation. The strip is preferably secured on each side to the chair as by means of screws 27 passed through the strip and into the panel members between the legs.

For securing the base and chair to the floor the strip 22 at its lower margin or edge is turned outwardly in the form of a flange forming a substantial surface for engagement with the floor and provided with a plurality of openings 29 by means of which the base'Inay be secured to the floor by screws or other means.

Sheet metal of suitable weight is employed for the base to give it suflicient strength to resist without appreciable yielding any weight to which the chair may be subjected, but the flange 28 may be drawn down by means of its securing screws into conformity with an uneven floor surface thereby securing the chair firmly in position, so that it cannot be rocked.

It is to be noted that the'base constructed as above described is attached to the chair in a substantial and neat manner and, in conjunction with the supporting frame comprising the legs and the panels connecting the latter, provides a completely closed form of construction for the space beneath the chair seat and prevents the entry and accumulation of dirt or rubbish. The base as constructed furthermore provides the advantages of a form of mop board for protecting the wooden portions'of the chair to a large de ree against being marred in use. The base a so joins the floor by its flange 28 in a smooth curving surface offering no irregularities obstructing the feet or affording lodgment for dirt,

The above described construction for the base or pedestal serves also to brace the supporting frame or leg portion and increase the strength, and durability of the chair which is i'further promoted by an advantageous form of construction for yieldably securing the seat portion 10 on its supporting frame formed by the legs and connecting panels. The seat portion of the chair, especially where constructed in the form of a solid wooden board, has a tendency to warp and crack with age or in case of imperfect seasonin of the wood, or to changes in atmospheric conditions. It has been found that this difliculty is to a large degree overcome or entirely eliminated by supporting the seat portion as previously described in free engagement with the sup porting frame, so that it may contract and expand without restraint in its own plane, while at the same time, of course, holding the seat securely in place on its frame and against any tendency to warp or buckle laterally. These advantages have been accomplished by a construction which in its preferred form comprises the provision of angular bars of sheet metal 30 for yieldably connecting the front and rear margins of the seat to the supporting frame throughout substantially the lateral width of the seat. Each such bar has a flange 31 in which are formed elongated slots 32, and this flange is yieldably secured to the under side of the seat as by means of screws 33, so that the seat as a whole, or any portion thereof may expand or contract in its own plane relativeto the bar. The'latter' at its other side has a flange 34 extending substantially parallel with the plane of the seat and engaged in a channel or kerf cut in the adjacent panels 17 or 19. Screws 35 may be employed to hold the bar 30 to the panel with its flange in engagement with the kerf. It is apparent from this construction that the seat board, the grain of which extends from front to rear of the chair, is permitted to have a contracting and expanding movement in its own plane by reason of the play of screws 33 in their slots 32, while at the same time the seat is securely braced and held against lateral separation from the supporting frame and against buckling or warping which latter tendency is largely eliminated by the provision for contraction and expansion. The central portion of the seat may be further braced if desired by a cross bar 36 secured thereto as by means of screws 37.

The panel 18 at the right hand side of the chair is in the present instance cut away to form an opening receiving a sliding drawer 38 supported by engagement with the frame 18. An additional advantage of the closed form of construction afforded by the panels and base is thus seen in the protection of the contents of the drawer from dust and dirt.

A chair constructed as above is exceedingly rugged and durable. The supporting pedestal or base may be economically manufactured and assembled in combination with the chair and not only increases the strength of the latter but provides, by reason of its extended area and tendency to conform to inequalities in the floor, an exceedingly firm support for the chair. The base likewise protects the wooden portions against being marred in use and facilitates the cleaning of the floor adjacent the chair. The construction for attaching the seat portion to the supporting frame eliminates to a large degree the warping or cracking of the seat and hence combines with the improved base portion to increase the life of the chair and maintain a neat appearance for the same.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a chair having a supporting frame substantially enclosing the space beneath the seat, said frame having a kerf therein adjacent its bottom, of a base comprising a vertically arranged sheet metal strip encircling said frame, an inwardly turned flange at the top of said strip engaged in said frame kerf, means securing the ends of said strip to retain the flange thereof in said kerf, and an outwardly turned flange at the bottom of said strip for securing the same to the floor.

2. The combination with a chair having a supporting frame substantially enclosing the space beneath the seat, of a base comprising a split metal sheet encircling said frame with. its ends detachably connected one with the other, means on the sheet for supporting the frame and securing means adjacent the bottom of the sheet for attaching the base to the floor.

The combination with a chair having a plurality of legs provided with kerfs adjacent their bottoms, of a metal base comprising a wall extending about the bottoms f the legs, an inwardly turned flange adjacent the top of said wall in supporting engagement with the kerfs in the legs, and an outwardly turned flange at the bottom of said wall for attaching the base to the floor.

i. The combination with a chair having a plurality of legs, of a base comprising a sheet metal strip in the form of a loop extending around the bottoms of the legs, means for attaching the strip to the legs to support the latter in spaced relation with the floor, and flange means on the strip for attaching the base to the floor.

5. The combination with a chair having a supporting frame substantially enclosing the space beneath the seat, of a base com prising a relatively flexible sheet metal strip in the form of a loop extending around the bottoms of thelegs, means for attaching the strip adjacent its top to the frame to support the latter in spaced relation with the floor, and a flange adjacent the bottom of the strip for attaching the base immovably to the floor.

6. The combination with a chair constructed of wood with a supporting frame comprising legs adjacent the corners of the chair and panels connecting the legs and substantially enclosing the space beneath the seat, of a base comprising a strip of sheet metal in the form of a loop extending around the bottom of said frame, means for attaching the strip adjacent its top to said frame to support the same in spaced relation with the floor, and an outwardly turned flange adjacent the bottom of said strip for attaching the base and chair to the floor.

7. The combination with a chair constructed of wood with a supporting frame comprising legs adjacent the corners of the chair and panels connecting the legs and substantially enclosing the space beneath the seat, said frame having a kerf formed in its outer surface parallel with and adjacent its bottom, of a flexible supporting base comprising a sheet metal strip in the form of a loop extending around the bottom of said frame, a flange extending from the top of said strip into engagement with said kerf to support the frame in spaced relation with the floor and an outwardly extending flange at the bottom of said strip and adapted to be secured at a plurality of points to the floor to cause the base to conform to the latter and hold said chair firmly in place.

MARTIN THUM. 

